Study: Bay Area Traffic Congestion Growing Faster Than Population

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Bay Area traffic congestion is growing faster than the region's population or employment levels, according to findings released by the Metropolitan Transportation Commission.

Santa Clara County Supervisor and Metropolitan Transportation Commission Chair Dave Cortese said in an announcement of the latest results that congestion seems to be concentrated in a select few corridors, "primarily on routes leading into or out of Silicon Valley and San Francisco."

Cortese also noted that more than three-quarters of the congested delay is found on freeways in Alameda, Santa Clara and Contra Costa counties.

Particularly problematic is the westbound morning commute along Interstate 80 from Hercules to Oakland, and the eastbound afternoon drive on U.S. 101 and I-80 from Interstate 280 in San Francisco out to the Bay Bridge, which rank No. 1 and No. 2, respectively.

The list has only one newcomer to the top 10 this year: The morning northbound commute along 101 from Story Road in East San Jose to Montague Expressway in Santa Clara, which jumped up eight places to hit No. 10.